The Future Is So Much Brighter
by Baleful Eyes
Summary: Merrill used blood magic and fixed the Eluvian so that her people could reclaim some of their past, but it ended in disaster. An old friend comes to teach her a very important lesson. The catch? Her friend is dead. [cover image made by Smilika of DeviantArt]


Hesitantly, Merrill stepped into the room, broom in hand, and walked over to the Eluvian, shards of glass scattered around it. It was evil. She was stupid not to have seen that earlier. The elf bent down next to the glass shards, and stared at them. There were a million little faces staring back at her. This puzzled and somewhat frightened Merrill, though. Because the reflections in the glass were not that of her own. She was hallucinating; that must be it.

"_Aneth ara_, _lethallan_."

Or perhaps she wasn't hallucinating. Slowly, Merrill stood up and turned around; when she saw who stood in front of her she felt herself go pale.

"You're dead," Merrill said, confused.

The elf in front of her shrugged. "It takes more than death to keep me away from my people."

"Why are you here, Mahariel?" Merrill asked. "_How_ are you here?"

"How I'm here isn't important. I heard about what happened," Lyna said, looking at the Eluvian and frowning.

"_Abelas_," Merrill said. "I shouldn't have... I didn't mean to..."

"Merrill, you know what that mirror did to Tamlen and me," Lyna pointed out.

"I know," Merrill admitted, "but I thought I could control it, or fix it or something!  
>"Mahariel... do you know what... what happened to Tamlen? Did you find him?"<p>

Lyna frowned. "I found him," she whispered. "No... He found me. The Taint from the mirror turned him into a ghoul. He tried to kill me, but I didn't fight back. Then Alistair and the others killed him; they didn't even know... Tamlen died, Merrill; the Eluvian killed him. Why did you use it?"

"I wanted us to reclaim some of our past," Merrill explained. "Our people know almost nothing of our ancestors."

Lyna sighed. "I wanted so badly to know about my past. The day I left to become a Warden Ashalle told me my parents would be proud. I asked what happened to them, and she finally told me. My father was killed by _shemlen_, and after my mother gave birth to me she disappeared one night. I think she killed herself. I'd wanted for so long to know about my past, and I found out. All that time I was wondering what had happened. I should have been focusing on the future. Look for the future, Merrill, not the past."

"I know, but what am I supposed to do?" Merrill wondered. "Hawke said I could help the city elves, but I'm only one person."

"You've changed, Merrill," Lyna said with a grin. "The Merrill I knew wouldn't have let that stop her. I was only one person, but look what I did! You can help the city elves. You can help our people. These _are_ _Elvhen_. You're an elf before you're a Dale."

"I'm not a Dale anymore," Merrill sighed. "Mahariel, why did you die?"

"To defeat the Archdemon," Lyna replied.

"You wanted to die," Merrill accused her in a somewhat bitter tone.

"You're very observant," Lyna laughed. "Can you guess the rest?"

"It was for Tamlen," Merrill continued, everything beginning to dawn on her. "It was always for Tamlen."

"He's what kept me going," Lyna said. "I was willing to die to stop the Blight. I was willing to die to be with my parents. To be with Tamlen. Before he died he said he loved me. I'd wanted to hear that for the longest time."

"I... we miss you," Merrill said.

Lyna smiled. "It's all right," she insisted. "I'm with Tamlen and my parents. Even Pol and the Keeper are there. It's a _beautiful_ place, Merrill. Hopefully you won't have to see it for a long time, though.  
>"So no more blood magic?" Lyna asked hopefully.<p>

"No more," Merrill said. "I want nothing more to do with it or the Eluvian."

"Our people will forgive you one day, Merrill," Mahariel said. Merrill looked at her skeptically. "_Emma sulevin_; and anyway, you have people here who love you, don't you?"

"I… I suppose," Merrill said.

"I regret nothing I did," Lyna said, "but I don't want you to die, too. So live, _lethallan_. Live."

"I don't know how," Merrill admitted.

"You have people who will help you," Mahariel said. "You have people who love you; people who need you."

"You're right," Merrill said. "You're right, _lethallan_. I—."

However when Merrill turned to face Mahariel, she was gone. She had finished what she had come for.

"_Dareth shiral_," Merrill said. "_Ma serannas_, _lethallan_."

Merrill jumped when she heard a pounding on the door. She walked over, and opened the door, slightly. She frowned, but opened it up nonetheless.

"Thank the Maker you're all right," Hawke said. "I had no idea where you went."

"I'm sorry," Merrill said. "I came to sweep up the Eluvian, and then an old friend visited."

Hawke looked curious, but when he saw Merrill's expression he knew better than to ask. "I should have listened to you," Merrill said. "I'm sorry; for everything."

"Don't be sorry," Hawke said. "You didn't know what you were doing. I should have stopped you."

"Thank you, Hawke," Merrill said. "For everything… _ma'arlath_."

"What does that mean?" Hawke asked.

Eyes watering, Merrill kissed Hawke. After a moment she pulled away, smiling.

"Oh," he said, now understanding. "…_Ma'arlath_."

Merrill smiled, thanking the Creators; thanking Mahariel. Merrill could move on; she had Hawke with her. Hawke would always be with her; she knew it. Merrill felt like she could do anything when he was beside her. Merrill could move on, and she could be happy again. She had Hawke to help her.

He was her _vhenan'ara_; her heart's desire.


End file.
